57 killed as blasts rip through 2 mosques in Pak

A suicide bombing and another blast ripped through two mosques in Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 57 people and injuring more than 60 amid events marking the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, police and health officials said. No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, one of which trapped dozens of people under rubble, media said. They come amid a surge in militant attacks, raising the stakes for security forces ahead of general elections set for January. The first blast, in the southwestern province of Balochistan, killed 52 people, according to a district health official, Abdul Rasheed. “The bomber detonated himself near a police vehicle near Madina Mosque where people were gathering for a procession,” added senior police official Munir Ahmed. The second blast, in neighbouring northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed five people. It collapsed the mosque roof, broadcaster Geo News said, trapping about 30 to 40 people under the rubble. Both provinces border Afghanistan and have suffered attacks in recent years by Islamist militants, who aim to overthrow Pakistan’s government and install their own brand of strict Islamic law. The Balochistan blast is a rare attack on civilians as Islamist militants have largely targeted security forces in recent years. @@@@